And 23 thousand bucks doesn't sound expensive

(MIG-21 on Ebay)

I don't suppose any of our cousins across the "pond" can shed any light
on this term "DEMILITARIZATED"?

Things that go *bang* or swish-*bang* have been removed.

Available with low monthly payments, too.

It would be good to be able to just do buy, "restore it" and fly it...

The world must be full of this stuff... and to have so few originals
from WWII is a bit sad.

There are quite a lot. A lot of Spitfires, rather fewer Hurricanes, a
few hundred Mustangs.....

Oh, that surprises me, because the Hurricane was supposedly easier to
patch up after battle damage and was easier to build that the
Spitfire. In fact, didn't the (then) new construction techniques for
the Spitfire delay it going into service?

Or is the situation now reversed, ie., the sheet metal bending skills
are common now and the tube 'n' cloth ones rarer?

I always find the shortage of Hurricanes rather sad, especially given
their numbers.

One WWII aircraft I find fascinating and would like to see in this
country would be a Russian IL2. I *encountered* them as it were
through playing the Maddox PC flight sim; I rather like the rugged,
fuctional ugliness of them.

I know what you mean there, that's what kept me with my girlfriend [1]
before I met the current Mrs DanL

[1] "The Crashed Messerschmidt" my mate used to refer to her as. It
was like snuggling up to a box of Lego

Heh. Err, her sticky-out bits had "Lego" moulded on them?

German aircraft are very scarce, except for Ju52s. Ditto Japanese.

They keep pulling them out of swamps and lakes in Russia and Finland,
though. And then flog them to the 'mericans who restore them.

I think most of them turned into very small jigsaw puzzles.

American: I dunno how many B29s are around.

There was a lot of old German stuff in Spain at one time.

Mostly Spanish built versions of German types

I think there are still quite a large number of airworthy ones around -
web-search for Conferedate Air Force, for starters.

1 isn't a large number... don't know how up to date Wikipedia is,
but I've seen Fifi on display at Holman field in St. Paul (STP).

"B-29A-60-BN 44-62070 "Fifi" belonging to the Commemorative Air Force
is the only airworthy B-29 in the world at present. Two other aircraft
are intended to be returned to airworthy condition in the long-term."

There's a Spitfire on a plinth at RAF Uxbridge -- I'll wager it's
not airworthy, tho'...

I'll bet it's plastic. A number were replaced with fakes because they
wanted to either strip them for spares or put them indoors before
rotting.

IIRC the vast majority of display spitfires adorning the entrances to
various airbases have been plundered of useable spares for their flying
counterparts.

Indeed, then taken indoors, sold off to private restorers and replaced
with plakky reps.

I wonder what happened to the one that used to be on the A40 entrance
to RAF Northolt years ago.

It got moved behind the services block when they extended the carpark.

Is that you just below the cockpit?

If you look at the original size pic, you'll indeed see that it's our
national treasure.

Aye. Taken at the change of CO.

That's practically the whole unit. Except LAC Wegg, I notice.

Did you get to stand in the middle cos you were the tallest?

That, and the fact they wanted to hide me not having been issued a
dress uniform at that point.

I pity the poor bloke who went out with the lass on the far right.

Mauro Floriani ?

I had to think about that one, but got it eventually.

You're not a bad judge. She stabbed one boyfriend with a bread knife.
Or so she said.

Face it, anyone who dates her deserves stabbing.

I was hiding the hangar, flicking V's at you all. Or maybe it was
after I'd left.

Nah, you were there when Edna took charge. I was still an LAC, ergo,
so were you.

True. Must have been hiding somewhere then.

There are:

2 Wg Cdrs; 6 Sqdn Ldrs; 9 Flt Lts; 5 Fl Offs; 2 Flt Sgts; 7 Sgts; 6
Cpls, and a grand total of 14 ORs[1] in that picture.

Top heavy?

[1] Including 3 LACs from my intake.

Which one? They had two over the years...

Most recently there was a Mk XVI on the gate, from 1970 until 1989,
which is now in Florida and airworthy, before that they had a 22 which
is now at Duxford in bits.

I'll bet. I think all real gate guardian Spits have been replaced by
fibreglas replicas.

I once had an appointment with a company on an industrial estate in
Lowestoft, when I turned in between two rows of units I was confronted
by the sight of about 15 fully painted up Spitfires sitting there all
parked up neatly. Glorious it was, even if they were fibreglass ones
being built for film use. They looked very impreesive and appeared
authentic, even close up.

That'd be the Colville Road works (known locally as "The Pit")
then I guess? Don't know what the company was called but
I know they used to make Spitfire replicas down there.

So you were probably visiting MotorMec ?

I honestly can't remember who I was there to see, it was when I was
managing a car accessories and sunroof firm based in Norwich, so that
would make it about 1991 ish.

I'd go for a Mosquito, just love the lines.

Why? If it's privately owned and has been registered as flight-worthy,
I can't see why not.

I think he's referring specifically to the Mossie. I think they're all
grounded as they're so old the plywood airframes delaminate and the
thing falls apart in mid-air.

I think (waits for Weggie) that there aren't any air-worthy ones left
after the Manchester accident. If money were no object I'd get one built
from scratch.

Correct, but a couple of possibilities for the mid term future...

No I am referring to ex military supersonic jets

Well, I'm fairly sure that the owner of the Tornado I was talking about
up there was allowed to fly it. It's just that it was a tad expensive
to fly.

Ain't no Tornados flying in private hands, not nowhere. There's a
couple of stripped out ones that have been sold off but no flyers.

This is what the CAA has to say:

I was pretty sure that private individuals could fly military jets.
IIRC, there are some things like Jet Provosts and Hawks in private
hands.

Perhaps it was something peculiar about soviet kit. Is a hawk
supersonic?

Aj
B6

I wonder why the seller has blanked out the markings? Just can't help
thinking someone's been to the local museum and took some pictures and
now is fishing. Am I being too cynical?

I especially like the post-auction process:

"After the ending of auction the buyer transfers 50 % of the price
(bank to bank), for preparation of documents, also preparation of the
aircraft and so on. When the buyer has prepared the documents (sanction
to import) he sends it to us by mail and transfers the rest of price +
transport (if it is required). (certainly you can orgonise a
transport). We speak you the number of transport, you becomes the
aircraft etc."

He's nicked it.

Or it's a cut 'n shut.

Maybe. The Czech airforce put a whole bunch of Mig21 up for auction
end last year. Looks like these are some of them.